Class Notes

College of Science and Mathematics

’60s

Bill Homan (Mathematics ‘62) went to University of Santa Clara and earned a master’s in general engineering while taking lots of hardware and software computer classes. He worked in engineering and technical support in marketing and helped Cal Poly candidates succeed in the business. He is now retired.

’70s

Lester Fraim (Mathematics ‘70) spent a 45-year career working in IT, building secure systems, networks and supporting large government customers in the Washington, D.C. area. He and his wife have now retired and moved to Southport, N.C. They have found other Cal Poly graduates that live in the area and are enjoying retired life.

’80s

Bonnie Gieschen (Biochemistry ‘80) connected with several Cal Poly friends through medical school and residency. Her son now attends Cal Poly as a biochemistry major and loves biking, surfing and handball.

Maureen Kennedy (Elementary Education ‘80) is a flight attendant of 35 years with American Airlines and flies internationally. She owns Maureen’s Swim School and has traveled the world with her husband and kids.

Mark Miller (Biology ‘86) co-founded Customer Engagement Technologies of Reno, N.V., providing financial service applications and consulting for lenders and government. He lives in Truckee with his wife, Jane, and has children aged 21 and 18.

’90s

Garrett Conaty (Mathematics ‘97) and Leanne (Dwyer) Conaty (Liberal Studies ‘97)
Welcomed their 10th baby in October. Garrett’s software consulting business, Conaty Consulting, is in its 12th year and Leanne has returned to school for a master’s degree in elementary teaching.

Victor Solanoy (Computer Science ‘97) has a 9-year-old daughter, Lulu, who recently appeared in a video for Athleta with her roller derby team.

Anthony Martello (Biological Sciences ‘98) started a website called Flat Spell Tales for reading short fiction stories. They have published more than 60 stories and acquired more than 5,000 followers. He is thankful for the creative writing class he took at Cal Poly for transforming his career.

’10s

Kai Zajac (Nutrition ‘14) is currently in his first year of physician assistant school at UC Davis.

Brett Avedisian (Physics ‘16) was accepted into an applied physics master’s internship program at the University of Oregon in June 2017. He studied semiconductor device processing and professional development and is currently completing an internship at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Hillsboro, Ore.

alumni

Cultivating Change – Guayakí 21 Years Later

By Shoshana Hebshi-Holt (Journalism ‘98)

In 1996, a Mustang Daily reporter named Shoshana Hebshi interviewed her classmate with an unusual business idea and ended up writing the first article about Guayakí Yerba Mate. More than two decades later, the two conducted a follow-up interview to see what has changed. When I met Alex Pryor in October 1996, we sat at an outdoor table near Barnes and Noble downtown San Luis Obispo. It was a sunny, beautiful afternoon, and he was explaining to me, a reporter for the Mustang Daily, how he became the “yerba mate dealer” on campus. Through his Argentinian accent he explained how…

Last Word

Reasons for Hope

For this issue, I’d like to step aside and let you hear from one of the people on the front lines of recent campus events. — Jeffrey D. Armstrong, President This spring, Cal Poly spent quite a bit of time in the news for reasons that we are certainly not proud of. As I was engaged in working through this turbulent situation as a Cal Poly Alumnus, a longtime member of this community, and most directly as Cal Poly’s Director of Admissions, I felt the need to reach out to our prospective students and their parents about what I was…

alumni

Lesbians Who Tech

By Melody Klemin

Five thousand LGBTQ women and allies flood the Castro Theatre in San Francisco one rainy March morning. High fives abound. Outfits and hair are on point. The marquee outside reads, “5th Lesbians Who Tech + Allies Summit — Welcome to Your Queer, Inclusive & Badass Squad.” As the theater lights inside go dark, music blasts and the crowd jumps to its feet, roaring with applause for the courageous, queer woman who brought this community together. Out steps Cal Poly alumna Leanne Pittsford (Political Science ’04), founder and CEO of Lesbians Who Tech + Allies, now the largest LGBTQ network of…